Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-14
GLADSTONE ON COERCION.
He Delivers Speech in the House o.
Commons Against the Coercion
Measure.
BalfOur Makes Reply-The Govern
ment Likely to Have the Usual
Majority.
The Coercion Bill.

LONDON, July Sin the House of Com
mons tonight, on a motion made for tn,
third reading of the crimes bill, Mr. Glad
stone, amid prolonged cheers, made
counter motion that the bill be read
third time this day three months. Mr.
Gladstone said the bill was the Conserva
tive alternative to homo rule, and there
fore wore different aspect from any or
binary coercion bill. The old coercion
measures were aimed at crime only. bu
this new one, passing beyond crime
at societies. Further, the bill had beer
brought In without any foundation such
as under1aid all former coercion bill:
based on the existence of exceptional
crime. Mr.. Balfour had disregarded al
presidents requiring that the intrcduc
! zion of coercion measures be prefaced by
a statement of exceptional crime. MI
Gladstone maintained that the increase
of crime in 1856 or 1885 in view of the
agricultural distress in Ireland was OK
ceedingly small. Comparing the officials
of the Tory Government in power in Ire
land in 1885 with those il. power the first
five months in 1887, there was a marked
decrease in the amount of agrarian
crime. Yet in 1856 they had refrained
from introducing q coercion measure
from motives of policy. A comparison
of past and present statistics affords nc
shadow Of justification for the present
measure. Another contrast was that past
| parliaments had been nearly unanimous
in asserting to coercion. while this bill
was opposed by large majority of the
| people of the country-a majority that
was not likely to- diminish. If parlia.
ment retained any regard for the tradi-
tons of liberty usages, the measure
would be abandoned. What could they
urge to warrant such invasion of the peo-
pies liberties? While resenting the i'm
putation that the Liberals had done the
same thing he would admit that
PAST MEASURES HAD, BARs FAILURES.
Among the differences between the past
and present was the extraordinary pro
posal making the Viceroy master of the
whole law and right Of association. In
the present century such a proposal was
an outrage on every principle of public
duty. Moreover, newoffences were Great
ed under the measure. The Attorney
| General for Ireland had admitted, and it
was too late to deny, that the bill aimed
| at the suppression of exclusive dealings
That was far more pardonable in the
| WCdh dho pun uudu Ill bllS IeEu anu pOW6T-
| FIJI, but it was the exclusive dealings OF
the poor against the strong, at which the
bill aimed. If a new crime was created
The measure for its suppression should
operate impartially. Tho government
the suggestion that it apply to England a
provision such as it was forcing upon
Ireland. He contended that the govern.
| ment was bound to extend to the occ o.
piers of land in Ireland La. perfect equality
with English trades union as regards the
| rights and practices enjoyed by the latter,
among which combination and exclusive
dealings were sanctioned. AS the hill
stood, if an Irishman Joined an associa-
ton il was for Mr.. Balfour to say whether
or not he became a criminal by the act.
| In conclusion, Mr.. Gladstone said that
Ireland, after seventy years of oppres-
sion and wrong, was in a. state of mIsery
and wretchedness. In tine whole British
Empire, he said, there was not square
foot on land which England held by force
alone, excepting in Ireland, where force
was employed. Ireland was held by mas
terry, but the government refused to learn
that mastery involved responsibility
They knew that the whole literature OF
the world was against them. He chal
lenged the government to mention any
authority who had reviewed the relations
between England and Ireland without
arriving at home-rlle solution. The
Tories protested to be fighting for the
union of the empire, q fight in which the
Liberal joined. The liberals held thai
the charge of disunion was ridiculous
It was evident that the present state Of
affairs could not last long, as Mr.. Glad
stone believed that every day tended te
bring the Tories nearer their doom.
Mr.. Gladstone then moved for the re
lection of the bill amid cheers from the
Liberals and Parnellite benches.
MR.. BALFoUB REPLYING
to Mr.. Gladstone first referred to tn,
charge that the government had broug h
the bill as ali alternative to Mr.. Glad
stones home-rule proposals If that wa
the case. he said, he felt justified in say
ing that it was Sufficient to recommend th
measure to the acceptance to the House
The government was mainly justified il
Introducing it's proposals by the state o
social tyranny which had recently beer
created in Ireland, tyranny that attack
ed the rights and liberties of minofjtie
and most Of those elementary principle
without which country could never b
| prosperous. He contended that Grim
was worse now in Ireland than In 1876
when Mr.. Gladstone promoted coercion
He haunted Mr.. Gladstone with having In
tro1uced in 1881 an arbitrary coerciv
MEASURE which enabled the Irish chic
Secretary to imprison anybody at will
He ridiculed the comparison that hat
| been made between trades unions an,
societies where the object was the dis
memberment Of the empire, and whic
were supported by Foreigners. Tn
trades unions might we'll be indign ant at
comparison of their honest, peaceful
efforts with those of boycotters and poll
teal cons pirators. Mr.. Gladstone hal
made an insidious and inaccurate state
ment about this years crime in Ireland
Early in the year there was visible I'm
provement, but at the last quarter ses
sjons there were evidences of relapse
In June sixty-two serious crimes wer
committed, ten above the average OF tn
previous eighteen months.
A French Jubilee.
Pail Mall Gazette.
Paris is making preparations for
special jubilee of her own. A few week
hence it will be fifty years since the frs